Hawaiian hand gesture. It has many meanings. Originally it means to "hang loose", or to chill and be laid back. It can be used as a positive reinforcement. If somebody did something good, cool, or righteous; You can give them a shaka as a sign of approval or praise. It can also be used as a welcome/goodbye sign. Most people would give the shaka as a sign of wassup or hello, use it as a way of saying goodbye, and even use it as a thank you.

To make a shaka:
1. make a fist (not a tight fist)
2. extend both your pinky and your thumb.
3. lightly shake your hand (too fast makes you like retarded or like a tourist, and too slow make you look stupid.)
4. If you don't want to do the shake, you are also able to do the "I'm tuff" motion. In a downward motion, move your hand. Giving a kind of downward wrist flick at the end. It gives you a more "i'm bad look". It's mainly used by old school Local boyz.

Originated in Hawaii. Old story goes:
Old man dynamites reef for fish, heʻs good at it and does it all the time.One day blows up hand and is left with 2 fingers thumb and pinky. Locals would see him around and wave at him, he would wave back but only with thumb and pinky. Pretty soon locals would wave back in same way. Its called shaka because he always claimed he didnʻt feel anything when it first happened, he claimed he was "shocked" at the fact that he actually blew his hand up after all these years.Thus this hawaii tradition has always meant "no worry", everything here is and will always be good no matter what happens. Dynamite is no longer allowed. this happened before hawaii was a state of USA. Around turn of century or "plantation days". Always used as a greeting or gesture, usually conveying tones of love, family, friend, aloha, togetherness, rightousness, thankful, greatful, blessed, supreme karma. Given freely without anything expected in return, and always from the heart.

CHOKE KINE SHAKAS

1 shake (quick and easy) REQURES A "TANKS AH" use this when someone lets you "in" when get choke traffic.

MOKE SHAKA (Loud and furious) donʻt curl your 3 fingers closed. Instead, keep them togther and stick thumb and pinky way out to the side. Stick arm straight out and up kinda like nazi hail hitler but instead yeal "HO CUZ" Use this when your driving your lifted truck and you see your friend driving the other way. Country boy style cuz.

Bro shaka
after you shake hands Bro style, end with shaka

Boom Shaka
after pound fist to greet you end with shaka instead of "blowing it up"

Shaka Brah
make a shaka and "punch" towards person and leave it extended out aiming towards them. the longer you extend and leave out, the more excited you are to see them. Use this with "eh brah" or "U FAKA"

Double shaka
make shaka with one hand, make shaka with da other hand now you get 2 shakas. Use this when extremely happy like when someone does you huge favor or hooks you up. the more you spread out your arms, the bigger the favor that was done for you.

Shaka pause
no need shake, jus hold um out. Use this to prolong a favorable experience like getting barreled.

Secret Shaka
small almost no can see shaka, hold it way down low, pointed to ground. All the coolest braddahs do this. Country boy style cuz.

Shaka Shout
like the MOKE SHAKA but intead do a regular shaka and pump it up in the air. the more you pump the louder you shout. Use with "CHEEE HOOOO" and do it at your childs high school graduation...right after they call their name and you blow the air horn....local style cuz.

Ono Shaka
when the food taste so good words can not express it, too much food in your mouth. Use this when you stuff your face with the loco moco and donʻt forget the fries with mustard mayo mix. Large fruit punch please. but if can, diamond head strawberry mo bettah.

A Hawaiian greeting with thumb out, and pinky finger, as you shake it. Shows other people that you have been to, grew up, or know about Hawaii and how "cool" it is.

President Obama gave the Shaka sign at the inaugural parade. He is from Hawaii, he's my homey!
The camera man on the news gets people from the community to show the shaka sign, and you get to be on the evening news.

It all started with a bang. One afternoon he was down at Kane'ohe Bay tinkering with his fishing boat, as he often did. When the daily drizzle rolled in, he began to wrap up his project in a hurry and crossed two wires that should never have been crossed…BOOM! Old Grand-pappy blew his three middle fingers clear off—on both hands.

Once the smoked cleared, he hollered out, “Oooeee! That was quite a shaka. But, no worries, at least I still have my thumbs and pinkies.”

Soon after, Grand-pappy became a living legend for truly embodying the Aloha Spirit: Everything is gonna be alright, no matter what.

When locals passed him on the beach, they’d wave a friendly hello. Grand-pappy would smile and wave back—with only his thumb and pinky, of course. The locals soon followed suit and the shaka gesture was born.

So, whether you’re shacked in a deep barrel on a double overhead day at Trestles, or cruisin’ down PCH in your 1973 VW bus, be sure to flash a friendly shaka to your fellow Shaka People…and remember our great great grand-pappy Hamana.